I saw that Twelve Kingdoms got into next year's schedule, which is awesome, as it's a really great series that most people have not seen. But, it looks like you're not going to show the second arc. Just wondering...why?

That second arc in the middle is unrelated to the main arc because the anime never finishes and connects everything. You do learn some new stuff about the world, but that is about it, I feel showing only the main arc gives the show a more cohesive feel. Also 45 eps is a lot and it was very important not to make the series too long as I think most people are sick of having a lot of shows doubled up.

Mike wrote:I saw that Twelve Kingdoms got into next year's schedule, which is awesome, as it's a really great series that most people have not seen. But, it looks like you're not going to show the second arc. Just wondering...why?

The same argument I used last year, when neither of them got in...

I really hope, for the sake of future CJASers, that this gets in. It's really awesome.

Oh well, I think that's a mistake. It's true that the other half of the arc was never animated, but that arc also really helps show that there's a lot more to the world than Yoko and Kei (and provides a lot of interesting background). Also, people would be free to finish up the arc by reading the novel when it comes out in a few years.

Mike wrote:Oh well, I think that's a mistake. It's true that the other half of the arc was never animated, but that arc also really helps show that there's a lot more to the world than Yoko and Kei (and provides a lot of interesting background). Also, people would be free to finish up the arc by reading the novel when it comes out in a few years.

Frankly, I'm glad we're skipping those 15 episodes, especially if all they are is "background" and have no bearing on the rest of the series. It sounds like having those 15 episodes in the schedule would just be a waste of space that could be filled in with an entire other series that would be far more rewarding to watch. People are free to fill in the missing arc on their own if they're so inclined. The argument that they could finish the arc by reading the novel would be stronger if the novel was closer to being published.

Well, it's a bit more complicated than that. You could say that arcs 2 and 4 have no bearing on the rest of the series, but you could also say arcs 1 and 3 have no bearing on the rest of the series. Yoko, who is recognized as the main character of the anime (only because the anime is unfinished), is only one of a handful of main characters in the books, so it really depends how you look at it. Either way, arcs 2 and 4 definitely show a lot more about the world of Twelve Kingdoms, and help piece together scenes and characters from arcs 1 and 3 that you wouldn't necessarily understand otherwise. It's definitely not a waste, and I'd recommend that everyone watch the episodes that weren't voted in, because those arcs are interesting, quite relevant to the other arcs, and contain some of the best scenes in the series.

And yeah, I wish that novel were closer to being published here. Unfortunately, it's the 6th in the series, so it'll be quite a while. :(